Case Study: Martinique is Unique — AREC and Bosch are Perfect Fit

Dear ADENA Partners, our case study this month comes from the sunny and exotic island of Martinique. With the support of our distributor Sidev and system integrator Caritel (a company of Infodom Group), the council of Ville du Gros-Morne has successfully added an AREC speaker tracking solution to their existing Bosch DCN-CCU2 conferencing system and other equipment. Read on to discover how the system works, the benefits it brings, and more in the full case study below.

Gros-Morne, located in the geographical heart of Martinique, is the second largest municipality on the island. It is also the least densely populated, with vast areas covered by expansive forests. As a primarily rural community, residents often need to travel considerable distances using various forms of transport, which limits their ability to participate actively in the political life of the municipality.

In an effort to improve this situation and keep the community better informed about its decisions, the municipal council decided to begin livestreaming its meetings. Officials turned to one of Martinique’s most reputable system integrators — our partner, Infodom — and tasked them with creating a solution that was both highly cost-effective and versatile. The system needed to offer speaker tracking, support multiple cameras, enable dynamic switching between them, and provide reliable recording and streaming functionality.

To ensure the solution met the client's budget requirements, elements of the existing conference system were retained—for example, the original Bosch DCN-CCU2 discussion system and its various types of microphones. This system, along with many others, is compatible with our speaker tracking station, the DS-4CU, which Infodom used to fulfil most of the project’s key requirements.

DS-4CU (VA1) Speaker Tracking Front

DS-4CU (VA1) Speaker Tracking Back

Our DS-4CU can process up to four video sources simultaneously—including computer content, camera video streams, and more—into custom video layouts. In addition, it supports overlay and background images, with storage for up to 254 files of each type, allowing every speaker to be displayed with their own nameplate. The DS-4CU combines these layouts and images into unique visual arrangements for each speaker. When a microphone is activated, the system automatically displays the corresponding layout and toggles user-configured PTZ presets on cameras to show the active speaker. This fully automated process ensures that councillors can remain focused on their discussions without any technical distractions. 

One of the DS-4CU’s video outputs was converted from HDMI to USB and used as a webcam input on a dedicated recording and streaming computer, which broadcasts the council meetings live on YouTube. You can see an example of such a stream here: Diffusion en direct de VILLE DU GROS-MORNE.

Thanks to the efforts of Infodom and Sidev, Gros-Morne municipality now benefits from a fully automated speaker tracking solution, making political life more transparent and accessible for its community. Does your council still not have speaker tracking? Contact us at www.a-dena.com and let's discuss how we can change this!

ADENA Hack: How to bundle AREC Media Stations for more effective installations?

Our core products — Media Stations — are standalone, all-in-one AV production systems with a wide range of applications across various industries. However, they shine even brighter when combined with other elements of the AREC ecosystem. In this post, we’ll explore some of the effective ways to bundle them for enhanced performance and features.

AREC CI-21H and CI-22H cameras naturally complement any Media Station thanks to their built-in tally lights that are integrated with AREC Media Stations. When recording is in progress, the lights on the connected cameras automatically turn on, providing a clear visual cue. This is especially valuable in installations where it is important to inform the audience of an ongoing recording.

AREC DS-AC1 control stations are also a great pairing for any Media Station for several reasons. These versatile devices can output and switch video sources on Media Stations, stream individual video sources, and send RS-232/TCP commands. Additionally, the DS-AC1 features a dedicated interface for Media Stations, similar to the Online Director, offering an intuitive and comprehensive monitoring and control environment.

The AREC DS-4CU and DS-9CU speaker tracking stations, supporting 4 and 9 channels respectively, enhance any setup with advanced capabilities — without the need for programming. Their primary function is to control cameras and automatically display active speakers using integrated discussion systems. When paired with Media Stations, the DS-4CU and DS-9CU can manage video recording and streaming through theme switching — a unique integration between our products. Additionally, they can function as video mixers for Media Stations, combining multiple inputs, such as cameras, document cameras, and computers, and delivering them through multiple outputs.

The DS-9CU excels in this role, as it can simultaneously manage up to nine video sources connected via HDMI, USB, or network inputs, while outputting video in 4K. Up to four of its sources can be in 4K quality, making it the perfect companion for the LS-410, our 4K Media Station. With the DS-9CU, the LS-410 can record up to five 4K video sources simultaneously in ultra HD while also benefitting from additional local and network output options.

There are many more combinations you can make with AREC. Contact us at www.a-dena.com and let's discuss ways to make your installations special with our products!

Case Study: AREC + Televic, the formula for every successful council

Dear ADENA Partners, in this case study, we review how Rochford Council in the UK successfully uses the AREC DS-4CU together with the Televic Confidea discussion system. Thanks to the efforts of our distributor, Tukans, and system integrator, Nuway, Rochford Council now embodies its “Simpler, clearer, faster” slogan in every council meeting, increasing transparency and improving public outreach. Learn more about how the systems work below and watch the system in action on the Council’s YouTube channel.

Rochford Council is a governmental institution responsible for district services and providing information for the Rochford district. This includes plans for local economic development, tourism, housing, jobs, and many other matters. The council’s workload necessitates frequent meetings and debates, which, until recently, were streamed with a single camera. 

While the streams did make the meetings publicly visible, they only conveyed the bare minimum. Important parts of the proceedings, such as computer-shared content and diagrams, could not be displayed, and it was not possible to focus on active speakers without manual control of the camera. Consequently, the council decided to look for a way to improve its streaming setup, and thanks to the efforts of our distributor, Tukans, and system integrator, Nuway, found that the AREC DS-4CU was exactly what they needed.

DS-4CU Speaker Tracking Station

The DS-4CU is a speaker-tracking station that supports up to four video sources connected by HDMI, VGA, or network. It is integrated with a variety of popular discussion systems on the market, including Audio-Technica, Shure, Bosch, Televic, and others. The station can select a customisable layout with multiple video sources, switch overlays and backgrounds, and control PTZ movement of each connected camera uniquely for every speaker in a fully automatic mode. The combination of these features allows Rochford Council to clearly display the current speaker, switch to opposite cameras to display councillors on the other side of the chambers, and show various computer content as part of the livestream. 

Televic Confidea

Our station is used together with the Televic Confidea, a bespoke and robust discussion system for councils. It ensures that every speaker is clearly heard and comes with a multitude of features tailored to council meetings, such as voting, RFID authentication, and more, which Rochford Council uses in every meeting.

The council has joined the long list of successful meeting transformation projects accomplished with AREC, and you can see the results on its YouTube channel. Is your council also looking for a solution to improve recording, streaming, and conferencing processes? Reach out to us at www.a-dena.com, and we will be happy to arrange a discussion to show why AREC is the right solution.